Sligo Rovers will be on the road once again in the Club Orange Women’s FAI Cup, with an away quarter‑final tie against Galway United confirmed following last yesterday’s draw. It will be the Bit O’Red’s second successive away fixture in this year’s competition, coming on the back of the impressive second‑round victory over Waterford at the RSC last Saturday.
This upcoming clash will also mark Sligo Rovers’ 10th appearance in the Women’s FAI Cup since entering the competition in 2022 — a journey that has already produced memorable moments, milestones, and a growing Cup pedigree.
The club’s first scheduled FAI Cup match was set for July 2022 against Douglas Hall of Cork, but the visitors did not travel to the Showgrounds, resulting in a walkover. That meant Rovers’ first actual Cup outing came a month later in a quarter‑final at Dalymount Park, where Bohemians emerged 3–1 winners.
The breakthrough Cup victory arrived in 2023, and it came in emphatic fashion — an 11–0 win over Donegal side Bonagee United. That result propelled Sligo Rovers into the semi‑finals for the first time, where they were defeated by Athlone Town. Remarkably, the Bit O’Red repeated that achievement in 2024, once again reaching the last four and once again falling to Athlone Town.
Last season brought a setback, with DLR Waves eliminating Rovers in the opening round. But across their nine Cup games to date, Sligo Rovers have recorded five wins, demonstrating steady progress and a growing ability to compete deep into the competition.
The draw for this year’s quarter‑finals was conducted by FAI Head of Women’s and Girls’ Football Lizzy Kent and FAI President Paul Cooke, setting up an exciting weekend of fixtures scheduled for Saturday 1st / Sunday 2nd August.
Alongside Sligo Rovers’ trip to Galway, the remaining ties promise plenty of intrigue:
- Douglas Hall v Cork City
- Athlone Town v Shamrock Rovers
- Bohemians v Shelbourne
For Sligo Rovers, the challenge is clear — a difficult away day against a strong Galway United side. But Cup football has its own rhythm, its own energy, and its own possibilities. With momentum from the Waterford win and a history of rising to the occasion in knockout competitions, the Bit O’Red will travel with belief, determination, and the ambition to reach yet another semi‑final.